• 1 cup Urad lentil, washed, rinsed and soaked overnight in water and keep in a warm place like a warm switched off oven (water might require a top up and make sure to cover with a tea cloth)
• 2 tsp dry roasted cumin
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• salt to taste
• Corn or sunflower oil for deep frying
• A bowl of cool tap water to soak the fritters after frying
• For the topping (for about 8-10 medium to large sized fritters):
• 2 – 3 cups of creamy Greek full-fat yoghurt
• 1 – 1 ½ tsp caster sugar
• ¾ – ½ tsp salt, or to taste
• ¼ tsp juice of a garlic (not crushed garlic, this is just to add a very slight hint of garlic flavour, hence squeeze a garlic and use the juice)
• 2-3 tbsp of tamarind paste (rehydrate a handful of dried whole tamarind in hot water, squeeze, strain and use or buy ready made tamarind, but that’s not as good!)
• 1 small onion, cut into rings
• A handful of coriander leaves, chopped
• 7-8 springs of mint, chopped
• 1 fresh green chili, chopped
• ½ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp dry roasted cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Chaat masala
• ½ inch ginger, julienned

To make the batter for the fritters: Before starting ensure that the (overnight) soaked lentils give off a fermented smell and the water should appear bubby – this is what you’re after.

Drain (but keep) the water, add the cumin, chili powder and salt and blend into a fine paste, if it is too thick, add the retained water to thin it out a little.

The consistency should be that of a very thick batter. Leave aside for 10 minutes.

Heat enough oil to deep fry fritters and keep on very low heat. The idea is not to have the oil hot enough so as to cook the outside of the fritter and not the inside. Keep a bowl of cool water near by.

Take a teaspoon of the batter and pop into the hot oil (that is enough as they double in size as they cook and you are looking to create a flattish round fritter).

Continue until the saucepan has enough to allow a free movement of fritters.

Fry on very low heat and cook until medium brown from the outside and cooked through. (Tip: while cooking if you make a small hole in the fritter with a knife, they cook faster!)

Once they are cooked, drop them into the bowl of water immediately. Leave for a few minutes and then take out and squeeze access water out. Arrange in serving dish.

To finish the dish, whip the yoghurt with salt, garlic juice and sugar. Arrange the yoghurt on top of the fritters and then top with onions, sprinkle with the tamarind paste, cumin, chaat masala, red chilli powder serving plate with the fritters and top with yoghurt and then arrange the onion rings on top, sprinkle the remainder of toppings and serve immediately or refrigerate and serve cool.

by Pak101.com (few years ago!) / 1426 views